Sheet-folding mechanism



April 20 1926.

c. V..CARNOV$KY SHEET FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 12, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 m 2%, 19%.. W W C. V. CARNQV$KY SHEET FOLDING MECHANI SM I April 20 1926.

C. V- CARNOVSKY SHEET FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 12, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

*xpril 20, 19260 c. v. CARNOVSKY SHEET'FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 12 1924 4 Sheets$beet 4 Patented Apr. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES VERNON CARNOVSKY, OF ST. ALBANS, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR, BY ME SNE AS- SIGNMENTS, '10 GREAT EASTERN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SHEET-FOLDING MECHANISM.

Application filed September 12, 1924. Serial No. 737,330.

Toall wkom it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES VERNON CARNovsKY, a citizen of the United States.-

residing at St. Albans, in the county of Franklin,,.State of Vermont,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Folding Mechanism, of which the fol lowing is a description, reference being "had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

My mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient machine for automatically foldingsheets into half .or any other predetermined ratio of the original length by causing the re'ar'end of the sheet in passing through the machine to actuate the folding mechanism. This object I accomplish by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved sheet folding machine;

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation same;

Fig.3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the front end of themachine;

Fig. 4 isa section on the line 1-4 of 'Fig. 3; v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan of the parts and 4, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged centrallongitudinal section through the entire machine.

The frame of the machine consists in the two sides 8 and 9 connected by angled cross bars 19 and 20. Front and rear rolls 1 and 3 are mounted in the sides of the frame; the rear roll 3 being carried by longitudinally slottedbars 15, 15 adjusted by means of set screws 15', 15', so as to give proper tension to the series of endless conveyor. tapes 1, extendlng around-saidrolls. The

upper conveyor member comprises a series of endless tapes 2 overlying the tapes 1 and pass ng around a rear roll 7 journalled in invention relates to sheet folding' of the ated as follows :-A motor 10 through belt 11, drives the pulley 11 provided with a sprocket wheel 11 around which passes the 'chain12. Chain 12 passes upwardly over sprocket 14 on roll 6, thence downwardly to the rear side of sprocket 13 on front roll 4 0 and over an idler 13. As shown, this drives the working runs of tapes 1 and 2 at the samerate of speed and in the same direction. The above constitutes the endless sheet conveying mechanism and in front of the roll 05 30 is placed the sheet delivery board 31, mounted on the bracket 32.

The folder comprises two series of folder arms 23 connected at their inner ends by hubs 23' journaleclin brackets 22 mounted i on cross bar 19; each hub 23 having a rearwardly extending operating arm 23", and all of the folder arms having upturned forward ends 23 adapted at-the proper time to 'fold the sheet S up between rolls 3O and 5 and the forward portions of tapes 2, so that tapes 2 and "rolls 30; and 5 will fold the sheet and pass it in folded condition to the delivery board 31. The folder arms are spaced for this purpose, and said arms are actuated by asolenoid 26, the core of which has a cross head 25' at its upper end connected to the operating arms 23" .by connecting rods 24. The front ends of the folder arms drop by gravity and are swung into action at predetermined times by the solenoid 26.. Solenoid 26 is energized by battery 27 or other electrical source.

The above'foldin mechanism is actuated as stated by t e solenoid 26 which forms part of the foldactuating mecha sides 8 and 9,'upon the two cross pieces 19, Y

20 and lie between the lower runs of tapes 1.

The rails are provided with insulated con- 9 tactstrips 28, 29. A fold control and measmounted to swing up 80 between the tapes 1 which are properly uring arm 21, is mountednear its forward end on-the axis 21 of a airof wheels 35, 35 traveling on the rails 1 18, and its rear heavier end is provided with a pair of connected contact springs 36 for engagement with the rail-contacts 28, 29. The front end of the controller arm 21 is provided with a a bell crank tightener lever 16 provided with an adjusting screw 16. The lower run 9 of the tapes 2 passes under a front roll 5, thence upwardly around the front roll 6 and in contact with the rear face of an inter.- mediate folder roll SOpthe face of which is preferably roughened. The tapes are operr The operation is as vertically disposed clutch-forming front .throw. A spring:44 presses the latch forwardly away from plate 34 to allow the latch to yield in passing under roll 5. follows-In. Fig. 6, the sheet S,-is shown as hanging down at its middle over roll 4 and the folder arms 23; are depressed. The rear end of. the sheet S is in the act of passing the latch '33 so that the circuit controller arm. 21 will drop and cause the finge to the osition shown in dotted lines, in doing w ich, the contacts 36 will engage the track contacts 28,29 and so energize the solenoid 26 and cause its core to be. depressed and so rock .thefolder arms 23 upwardly rs 23" thereof to lift the sheet to the position shown. in dotted lines 231 (Fig; 6), where its fold will be grasped by the folder rolls 5, 30 and tapes 2, and the folded sheet fed to the discharge table 31. In so swinging down at tlie rear end, the foriivaridl end of agm 2 wi swingu an teupere e of its plate 34 v vill' clutch th forwai d traveling u per ruh of tapes 1, since the latch 33, is no onger under the sheet S. The

.wheeled controller 21 will travel forwardly to the (position shown in Fig. 3 and the folder arms 23 will have dropped down. The controller arm 21 will fall, see Fig. 3,

j till stopped by stop 46 and in this position the parts will remain until the front-edge of another sheet S reaches the latch 33 and tilts plate 34 in the opposite direction which 0. its contactss28, 29 to-a'gain ener will bring its lower edge into clutching con.- tact with. the rearwardly traveling lower runs of tapes 2.- Thus the wheeled controlling arm 21 will then travel rearwardly till it a sin reaches the position shown in Fig. 6, w on the passage of the rear end of another'sheet S will release-it andcaufie -t e solenoid and cause. arms 23 to lift-t e middle of the sheet to its folding'position.

In thus dropping to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the contacts 36 on the controller 21 will, as stated, engage the rail contacts 2 8, 29 and the current will travel from 37, 38 through solenoid 26 out at 39, 45 to'rail contact 28, through spring contacts 36 and rail contact 29 at 41, 42 back to battery 27.

member 33, since it is released and acted upon by the sheet' to be folded and iSdlQtintended as a limitation to any detailed construct1on.

The controller arm 21 is carried backward Theterm latch is used to describe the always exactly half the length of the sheet that has passed over it, because both are traveling at the same speed though in op posite direction, and so-actsas a measuring means. To obtain other than half*folds,.

the controller mechanism 21 mustlbe at tached to other reverse running tapesof different speed.

Various changes'may be made without departin from the spiritof' my invention.

Havmg thus'described the invention, what I claim as .new and [desire to secure-by I controller and .measurer, and means carried.

delivery end and a traveling fold by saidfold' controller andactuated by the Q forward and rear. ends of the sheet .to be folded to cause the fold controls tobe moved forward and backward iby: said conveyor. 2. A sheet folding mechanism'comprising a sheet conveyor, a traveling-fold controller and measurer, means controlled by the; advancing endof the sheet to cause the movement of said controller in a direction opposite to the movement of the" sheet, means controlled by the rear end of the sheet to arrest the rearward movement of said controller and to cause the return-movement,

-a folding mechanism, and means actuated by the said controller at the completion of its rearward movement to effect the actuation of said folding mechanism.

3. Asheet folding-mechanism comprising a'sheet conveyor, folding mechanism at the delivery end thereof; including electrically operated means for presenting a foldsin the sheet to 'said folding mechanism, a traveling fold controllera-nd measurer, provided with contacts to close .the energizmg circuit of said. electrically operated means, said controllerbeing actuated by the forward and rear ends of the sheet to be folded, and adapted to close said circuit when released by t erear edge of the passing sheet.

4. In a sheet folding mechanism, an endless sheet conveyor, a traveling fold controller within said conveyor,a latch on said controller actuated by the sheet'to be folded, upper and lower conveyor engaging surfaces on said controller actuated by said latch. and'adapted to alternately connect the controller with opposite runs of the conveyor, to shift it back and forth in measuring relation to the sheet to be folded, a folder mechanism at thedelivery end of the con- ,veyor, and folder arms to present the sheet, at the fold, to the folding mechanism, and

means for controlling said folder arms from the traveling controller.

5. The combination in a sheet folding machine, with' upper and lower series .of .end-

1cm conveyor tapes between which the sheet is fed andspaced folder rolls at opposite ends of the forward end of the upper series and provided with contacts to engage said fixed contacts and so energize the electromagnetic means, and'a device carried by the traveling clrcult controller for effecting the operativeconnection of the said circuit controller with the said lower tapes.

6. The combination in a sheet folding machine, with an endless conveyor comprising two series of'superposed endless tapes between which the sheet to be folded is fed, means at the forward ends of the tapes for folding the sheet, folder arms for lifting the sheet between its ends to said folding means from the endless conveyor, electro-magnetic means for actuating said folder arms, fixed contacts in the circuit of'said electr0-mag= netic means, arm having contacts at its rear longer arm to engage the said fixed contacts and complete the circuit to energize the said electromagnetic device, guides .or tracks within the lower series of tapes on which the control tacts in the circuit of said traveling circuit controller ling arm is mounted to travel back and forth, a front plate at the forward shorter end gf the circuit controlling arm to engage with'its upper and lower edges, the upper and lower runs of the lower series of conveyor tapes, and a sheet actuated latch carried by the forward end of said circuit controlling arm and extending into the sheet spao'e between the upper and lower series of tapes;

7. A sheet foldin machine comprising an endless conveyor, f0 livery end thereof, folder arms to lift the sheet to the rolls for folding, an electromagnetic actuator for saf -arms, fixed conaetuator, and a propelled inopposite directions bysaid-conveyor and provided with contacts to engage said fixed contacts to energize the electro-magnetic actuator and a sheet actuated device carried by the traveling circuit controller for controlling the movements of the controller byjthe passage of a sheet.

8. A sheet folding mechanism comprising i an endless sheet conveyor, folder rolls, at

the delivery end of said conveyor, sheet lift- I ing mechanism adapted to lift the sheet at the'fold to present it to the folder rolls, means for actuating said lifting mechanism, a sheet, actuated traveling controlling mechanism for the said lifting mechanism, and

a pivoted circuit controlling lding rolls at the demeans for moving the said sheet actuated controller back and forth by said sheet conveyor.

9L sheet folding mechanism comprising an endless conveyor, folder rolls at the delivery end thereof, vertically rocking folder arms to lift the passing sheet to the folder rolls,.an electro-magnetic actuator operatively connected withsaid folder arms. longitudinal tracks lying within the'conveyor and having fixed contacts in the circuit of the said .electro-magnetic controller,- a vertically rocking sheet controlled circuit controlling arm mounted to travel back and forth on said tracks and having contacts on its rear end to engage said fixed contacts in dropping and complete the electric circuit to theelectro-magnetic controller, and

a' sheet actuated latch on the forward shorter end of said circuit controller arm to first throw the said shorter end into connection with the upper run of said conveyor to start the controller initsforward travel, and at the folding point, acting to throw said controller into engagement with the lower run of said conveyor to return it to the starting point where it tilts to complete the electriccircuit. a a 1 10. A sheet folding mechanism comprising a' conveyor formed of a series of endless traveling tapes, folder rolls at the forward or delivery end of said tapes vertically V swinging folder arms pivoted between their ends within the said conveyor and at their forward ends adapted to lift the sheet to the folder arms, a solenoid connected to the rearends of said folder arms, a longitudinal track within said conveyor and having contact strips extending along their rear portion andin the solenoid circuit, a Wheeled circuit controlling arm mounted between its ends on said track to swing vertically and having contacts on its longer rear end to engage said track strips and complete the circuit of said solenoid, a vertical tape engaging plate on the shorter front end of said arm to alternately engage with its upper and lower edges the upper and lower runs of said tapes, and a sheet controlled latch pivoted to the and lying in the path of the sheet to be folded.

11. A sheet folding mechanism comprising an endless conveyor formed of parallelspaced tapes, folder rolls at the delivery end of said conveyor, vertically rocking folder arms pivoted within said conveyor and having upwardly extending fingers at their forward ends to lift the sheet from the tapes to the folder rolls, a solenoid connectedto the rear ends of said folder arms to rock them upwardly, tracks lying centrally and longitudinallywithin the conveyor and provided in their rear-portions with longitudinal con: tact strips in the circuit of the said solenoid,

lower edge of said front plate I wheels mounted on the tracks; e oircuit-wn mounted on the sides of the longer member 0f;.said-oircuit controlling arm to complete the solenoid circuit in the downward movement ofsaid {longer member a. vertically U rd end of an circuit 'eontrolling arm and fidapted tool-l;

disposed platev on the; forwa .ture. v

'temhtely dngage p rend 'lawefiufie 10 of said endless tapes, an a latch pivoted at 'its lower end to the lovier forward port-ion of said front plate and extending upwardly beyond-the upper runs of the tapes inthe path of the sheet to be folded. In vi:

0'. VERNON ARNOVSKY.

ime whereofyleflix my signal- 

